She Thought He Hung the Moon
by MarvelGirl09
Summary: Thirty Kisses Challenge. Theme 11:Gardenia "I'm going to throw up." also Theme 10: 10 "He only kissed her and told her she was sexier than ever"
1. Chapter 1

Yes, I've finally picked up a thirty kisses challenge on LJ. And since I see so little 2xH these days, I thought what the heck- I SHALL BRING BACK MY FAVORITE PAIRING OF ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. If I did, 2xH would be UNDENIABLE CANON.

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Theme #8 Our Own World  
Inspired by the song: Your Song by Kate Walsh

She had never before found long hair attractive in men, until she saw that braid hanging down a toned back, ending at a very nice ass. And yet she remained business like, encouraging him to sign up as an OZ soldier to fight for the colonies. She saw how he studied her, his look caught between admiration and bewilderment. She saw too how the ends of his mouth were turned down in hardened sadness, and knew that his wide grin belied a darker, tragic person. He was beautiful. Gorgeous. Hilde was gone.

She shouldn't have trusted him so blatantly, that she knew. And as soon as he presented those fake papers at the checkpoint, she mentally slapped herself for falling for his unmistakable charm. How could she be so stupid! Her first thought was that he was some kind of terrorist, or maybe a just a runaway crook. It took a fight between the two of them for Hilde to realize how wrong she was.

She was in love before she knew it. His presence filled her tiny house with warmth, and security. She never felt safer than when she was with him. Nights were soon spent dreaming of him, handsome and dangerous, his hair enveloping her. She was obsessed with his hair, often wondering what it would be like between her fingers, or against her lips.

And then it happened. In the kitchen, their favorite part of the house, while she was making mac and cheese and he was reaching over her to get the bowls. They were both laughing, and he stopped to look at her, and suddenly his mouth was on hers. Her hands flew up to his hair, his to her waist, turning her in his arms. She gasped into his mouth, he moaned, and Hilde died. Was a kiss supposed to be like this? So completely possessing, taking control of her senses and mind? Where was she again? WHO was she again? When he pulled away to let her breathe, she kept her eyes closed, wanting to seal in the feeling. Only when she felt him nudging her nose with his did she open them to look at him, so flushed and handsome. With a grin she loved so much, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, heading for the couch.

The mac and cheese was inedible that night.

FIN

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Enjoy and drop me a line, people!


	2. Chapter 2

Yes, I've finally picked up a thirty kisses challenge on LJ. And since I see so little 2xH these days, I thought what the heck- I SHALL BRING BACK MY FAVORITE PAIRING OF ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. If I did, 2xH would be UNDENIABLE CANON.

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Theme#6: The Space between Dream and Reality

"Hilde?"

"Yeah?" she sounded so small, so fragile. But really, she was just in the other room.

"Are you hungry yet?"

She poked her head around the doorway. "Why, are you?"

He gave her his widest gaze. Hilde sighed in mock exhasperation.

"You're lucky you're fighting for the colonies, otherwise I'd make you get off your ass and make your own damn steak," she stuck her tongue out at him to show she was teasing. She knew, and suspected he did as well, that she could deny him nothing.

"You're the best, babe," he went back to sorting through the invoices for the week. He heard her in the kitchen and sighed, picturing her sprightly little body moving around like a fairy. Hilde didn't seem to walk like normal people. To him, she fluttered around on light feet, a nymph no one could-

"Hey," a paper towel roll tossed at his head brought him back to reality, and to the real Hilde, who was looking at him strangely. "We're out of steak, what do you say to mac and cheese?"

"Sounds good to me," he scratched at his head where the roll had hit him. She had a good arm. Why did he think she was a fairy again? Oh, right, he reminded himself as she turned on the tip of her toes to go back into the kitchen, her bangs bobbing along with her step. She moved so lightly, so quickly, hovering between the realm of humans and fairy folk and he was dying to be the mortal who would-

"Ow!"

"I said, set the table, would you?" she shook her head. "You're way out of it today, huh? More than usual."

"Got a lot on my mind, babe," Duo rubbed his chest. "But didja have to throw the cups at me?"

She scoffed cutely. "They're plastic. You're a gundam pilot, get over it!"

He put on a wounded look. "Still hurts."

Hilde rolled her eyes and blew him a kiss. "You'll live."

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Enjoy and drop me a line, people!


	3. Chapter 3

Yes, I've finally picked up a thirty kisses challenge on LJ. And since I see so little 2xH these days, I thought what the heck- I SHALL BRING BACK MY FAVORITE PAIRING OF ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. If I did, 2xH would be UNDENIABLE CANON.

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Maybe it was the way her cheerful voice would announce, "I'm home!" every time she returned from an excursion. Or maybe it was the way she would plop the groceries on the kitchen counter, fully expecting him to help her put it away, like normal people do.

Maybe it was the way she treated him, not as a pilot with too much blood on his hand or a fugitive from the government, but as a 15 year old male who needed a place to stay, a person to whom she gave shelter and friendship.

Friendship...the word made him snort in exasperation now. He turned on his bed and pulled the sheets over his head. When did it start? When did he start noticing the way her slim little hips swayed with every step? When did he start thinking that the world was a better place every time she sat down to share a meal with him? When was it that her eyes became a focal point in his dreams, haunting, beckoning, wanting him?

"It doesn't matter," he grumbled to the darkened ceiling. The insane beat of war was knocking closer and closer to his door. Soon he'd have to go back, back to that world of frenzied lights and the smell of death. He'd open the wings of his gundam again and fight against the entire earth sphere. He knew, of course, from the first day he let her take him in, that he wouldn't be able to stay. That this little world of pancakes and groceries and junk yard invoices was just a little sample of what could have been, a tortuous reminder of everything he could not have. If only...

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Hilde opened the door a crack, a warm glass of milk in her hand. "Duo?"

But the only response she received was a light snore, making her smile. In daylight he was one of the deadliest men in the earth sphere, but sleep stripped that image away, leaving only a beautiful young man who had lived his life alone. She padded across the room gently, placing the glass on the counter. The fact that he didn't stir at her movements caused a stab, deep inside her chest. How many nights had he been able to sleep so soundly before he arrived at her door? How many nights had he slept with a cocked gun at his side, or in the cockpit of his mobile suit, dozing until the next mission came?

She pulled the sheets a little higher onto his shoulder from where they had spilled around his waist, admiring the way his wife beater showed the results of his training as a pilot. Hilde hesitated a second before pressing a soft, featherlight kiss to his head before leaving his room. This wild boy, who had brought so much joy to her life, wouldn't stay long, she knew. The evidence of war was everywhere, creeping closer by the hour. The thought made her pause on the way to her room. She would miss him. She would miss him fiercely. It wouldn't be the same in the little house without him, she knew that much.

_How sad, _Hilde turned down her bed thoughtfully. If only they had met under different circumstances. If only this endless war hadn't screwed up their lives to such a twisted point. If only....

Fin

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Enjoy and drop me a line, people!


	4. Chapter 4

Yes, I've finally picked up a thirty kisses challenge on LJ. And since I see so little 2xH these days, I thought what the heck- I SHALL BRING BACK MY FAVORITE PAIRING OF ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. If I did, 2xH would be UNDENIABLE CANON.

Title: 02. news;letter.

Takes place at the end of EW

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She was at a loss. The footage from the fight was all she saw of him that night, and since then she hadn't heard a word. It had been weeks...where was he?

If only she had gone with him...damn the man for extorting a promise that this time, this ONE time, she would stay home, watching the business, waiting for his return. Waiting, yes, useless, clueless, at home. Like a good housewife.

Hilde sighed and raked her fingers through her hair, leaning back in her office chair. She shouldn't think like that. After all, he was only thinking of her. It wasn't fair that she would be so bitter. But why hadn't he come home yet?

She jumped a little as the videophone beeped, the light flashing annoyingly. Not really in the mood to face a customer, Hilde sucked it up and answered anyway.

"Hello?"

There was a crackling on the other end, and the screen was fizzling grey. But she heard his voice, heard those four beautiful words she had been waiting to hear for what seemed like an eternity.

"Babe? I'm coming home."

Grinning from ear to ear, Hilde kissed her fingers and touched them gently to the screen before answering.

"Hurry."


	5. Chapter 5

Yes, I've finally picked up a thirty kisses challenge on LJ. And since I see so little 2xH these days, I thought what the heck- I SHALL BRING BACK MY FAVORITE PAIRING OF ALL TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. If I did, 2xH would be UNDENIABLE CANON.

Title: 04 Our Distance and that Person. The Person here is Duo's inability to settle down because of his problems. Hilde's had just about enough.

Takes place after the extra chapter at the end of Episode Zero, when the boys reunite to save Relena...again. I'm so sick of haters saying that Hilde was weak and passive in Ep 0 and that her appearance and the supposed lack of relationship between her and Duo proves 2xH isn't and can never be canon...I say look again, people.

From now on I'll try to go in some sort of chronological order beginning with this oneshot.

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Theme 04: our distance and that person

The lights in the colony were signaling dawn and the house was dark when he eased open the door. She hadn't waited up for him, and he didn't expect her too. Then again, he didn't expect to be gone so long. What began as a need for some air ended in a full-blown reunion with the guys and a mission to save the princess to boot.

At least he got to see that everyone was doing ok. Duo sighed as he kicked off his boots and let them drop on the rug next to the door. He crept silently towards the bathroom to wash up before heading to the bedroom, where he knew she was sleeping soundly.

_Hilde…_she was to small to sleep in that bed alone, he thought as he slid under the covers and carefully scooted close to her, pressing a soft kiss to her exposed shoulder.

"Duo." Her voice was icy, but he was so surprised that she was awake he didn't pay attention to the tone.

"Babe, what are you doing awake at this hour, it's way too early to be up," he put an arm around her to hold her close, but she slid away. In fact, she slid right out of bed and turned to look at him. Her eyes were unreadable in the dim light that leaked in around their curtains.

"You were gone a while," she said simply.

"Yeah…well I left you a message on the phone saying I'd be gone a bit, I thought Sally came by and-"

"You know what's funny about that? She did come by. She asked where you were, and I told her the truth. That I didn't know," she barked a bitter laugh and continued. "I had to tell someone I didn't know where my own husband was. Worse, I had to tell them that I didn't know when you'd be back! Isn't that great? Isn't that just the best example of marriage you can think of? Isn't that just fucking amazing?"

"Babe," he sat up in surprise, but she ignored him.

"You know, I was just curious. How many more of these..."needing time" trips are you going to take?"

"Well, shoot, Hil I dunno. It's not like I plan 'em or anything I just...need to clear my head sometimes. You know that, I thought you wanted me to take the time I needed to...you know...think things through and stuff."

"Really? That's funny. Because for the longest time I let you take your time or whatever it is you needed after the war. I let you roam around, I let you sort things through, and when you asked me to marry you I _thought_ you had figured everything out, at least enough to stay with me and be the husband you promised me you would be!"

"But babe, haven't I? I always come back to you, I never even thought of being-"

"But even after we got married and you keep running off I never really complained. I kept tolerating your outings, your need for 'space' or whatever the fuck excuse you've given me, I let you leave for weeks at a time even after you stopped having nightmares. And do you know why? Because I love you and I wanted to see you doing ok. But this is enough. I never let it bother me, no matter how hard it was. I was always coming up with some excuse to let you go and do whatever it is you do when you leave. But you know something? Telling that to Sally and Wufei today, that I had _no idea where the fuck my husband was_, that was the last straw. If you need as much space as you say you do then why the _fuck_ did you ask me to marry you?"

"Now, Hilde-"

"Don't 'now Hilde' me! I've been patient, I've been compliant, I've always been everything you needed me to be. But no more, Duo. I married you because I love you, because I want a future with you, a family, a _home! _But we can't have those things if you_ aren't around!"_

She ended on a scream and it was the loudest he had ever heard her go. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, he could only gape at her. She stared back, her blue eyes sparking with a fire he hadn't seen since they first met, her little body tensed in anger.

"Hilde, baby, I'm trying..." he said finally, but she shook her head.

"Trying isn't doing, Duo. I know what kind of man you are, at least I thought I did, and the Duo I know can _do _anything he puts his mind to. But you know something? It's my fault. It's my fault for saying yes to marrying you when you obviously weren't ready. I don't know what the fuck kind of high you were on, but," she turned to the closet and ripped off her nightie, pulling on her day clothes. "I have a better idea. I'm going to go and stay somewhere far from here, ok? That way, you can have _all _the time in the world you need to sort through whatever's left, and I don't have to explain to anyone where you are, because you'll be right here. And even better...you won't have to deal with me coming back and ruining your fun!"

She pulled out her suitcase and he saw that she struggled a bit with it. He gulped as he noticed her side of the closet was empty. She had planned this while he was gone. In a flash, Duo was out of bed and next to her.

"Babe, I had no idea, I really didn't," he pleaded with her. _Don't leave…_

"You should have! Or do you honestly think that I _like _sleeping alone or not knowing where you are?" _I can't cry myself to sleep anymore…_

"You know I'd do anything for you, Hil, I'm crazy about you," he reached for her and held firm but the look in her eyes was far away. She was shutting down on him.

"You don't know how much I want to believe that," she said softly. "But if I don't leave you'll keep leaving and Duo, I can't handle it. But I can't make you stay any more that you can make me." She pulled away and he knew. She was leaving. He had never felt so far from her. Even when he was away from home he still felt her with him, knowing she would be there when he opened the door. Maybe that's why he left, to have that feeling of security that he wouldn't come home to an empty house. Maybe, in some part of him still wounded by loss and war, he was expecting to open the door someday and find her gone.

And now she was leaving. And she was right- he couldn't make her stay. He stood there, immobile, half of him screaming to make her stay, the other half silent, expecting the occurrence as inevitable.

_Then why the fuck did you ask me to marry you?_

The words stung as she shut the door behind him, and he rushed after her too late. He wrenched open the door but she was already gone. He didn't know how long he stood there, the chill invading under his clothes and the lights waxing, telling the colonists day was beginning again. It didn't matter.

She had left.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, so I lied about the chronological thing. I had a writer's block when I tried to do it that way, and this just begged to be written anyway

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM WING. Please don't sue me, this is just for the love of the pairing!

Theme 19: Red

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No matter what she said, Duo thought she looked her best in red. He felt it strongly, knew it made his blood run faster whenever she stepped out in that deep red dress she saved for special occasions. Something about the way the blazing red complemented her hair, her skin, her fiery nature.

When she came out of their bedroom, the red dress swirling around her knees and the deep, square neckline exposing her creamy skin, he had the sudden urge to toss her back in their bedroom and show her just how good she looked in it.

But there would be none of that tonight. Tonight, she had something important to say. It had to be really, _really _important, he thought, if it meant she had pulled out _that_ dress. When they went to the bar she usually pulled out something a lot tighter, a lot shorter, but still red. This dress was for anniversaries, birthdays, or whenever they scored a major new client.

He frantically tried to think if today was their anniversary. No, it was January; he remembered distinctly getting married in spring, Hilde always wanted to be a June bride, it was her secret guilty dream. Duo congratulated himself mentally on marrying a woman who made remembering their anniversary so easy.

That left birthdays and new clients, neither of which were relevant occurrences recently. Hilde was being secretive, and he was almost afraid of the result.

Still, he could hardly be bothered when she looked like that. She smiled up at him and did a little twirl, her lips curling in feminine gratification when he whistled his approval and reached out to grasp her waist. She only laughed and slipped away teasingly, taking her coat and heading out the door, fully expecting him to follow.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her the entire night. They ate, they danced, although Hilde refused the glass of wine they usually shared. Duo was so lost in her he all but forgot that she had something to tell him. Only at the end of the night, when they were having their last dance and she shimmied up to him to whisper if he was ready to hear her did he remember why they were there.

"Tell me," he murmured back, running his hands lovingly up her back.

"I'm pregnant."

Later that night, when the dress lay forgotten on the floor and she was laying, flushed, beneath him, he bent his head reverently and pressed his lips to where they knew life was growing inside her. She smiled at him, he smiled back, and gently touched her face.

They were going to be parents.


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, so I lied about the chronological thing. I had a writer's block when I tried to do it that way, and this just begged to be written anyway

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM WING. Please don't sue me, this is just for the love of the pairing!

Theme 22: Cradle

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"What the hell-"

"What?"

"What is this?"

"Duo, Trowa and Cathy were generous enough to give us this crib. I think it's adorable! The little circus lions are cute!" She gave the new cradle, a gift from Uncle Trowa and Aunt Cathy, an affectionate rock. It was fun, it was cute, and best of all, it was gender neutral. It was a relief to Hilde not to have to give up her wish to have her baby's gender be a surprise just because she had to choose between pink or blue.

"Is it safe? I mean the ones we saw at the store had, you know, rails. And they didn't tip like that."

Hilde sighed. "This is just until the baby starts rolling around on his own. Then we'll get a real crib. But I love it. And," she gestured to the dresser they had received from Heero and Relena, white with circus animals painted down the front. "It goes really great with the dresser Relena brought. Plus there's the lamp and the curtains Wufei sent, and the rocking chair from Quatre and Dorothy. I can't believe our baby will have a _themed _nursery! Do you know how much I wanted him to? I always loved those cute little rooms with everything matching…" she drifted off dreamily, already thinking of the kind of paint they should use in their baby's room.

"Yeah well, I'm thinking there's a circus conspiracy going on here," Duo poked at the little elephant themed lamp.

"It was Cathy's idea. She said Trowa was embarrassed she would suggest it but I loved it!"

He watched her fluff the elephant wrapped around the lamp and sighed. So what if clowns always freaked him out as a kid? He was friends with one now, after all, and if Hilde was happy with the room- then it was alright by him. He rolled up his sleeves and caught her by the waist, turning her in his arms. He bent over to kiss her belly tenderly before straightening up to ask,

"So, where do you want everything?"


	8. Chapter 8

For those of you wondering: "Is MG ever going to tell us how Duo and Hilde fixed their relationship after she left?" YES I WILL OK I'M SAVING IT FOR THEME 20. Not that I'm doing these in order. but it WILL BE WRITTEN. And you guys thought I forgot about this story. NEVAR!

I always wanted a beach wedding for 2xH. I'd never have one myself (my church wedding will probably be closer to Dorothy's tastes than Hilde's) BUT I think the casual yet elegant setting would be just perfect. Besides, I can't imagine Hilde any other way than barefoot on the beach with a white chiffon sundress and a flower in her hair, and Duo grinning like a complete idiot because she looks like an ethereal fairy...ok getting carried away now.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM WING. Please don't sue me, this is just for the love of the pairing!

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Theme 11: Gardenia

"I'm going to throw up."

"Hilde," Relena said calmly. "You're just nervous. Breathe," she held up a cool cloth against the back of Hilde's neck, hoping to ease her discomfort. "It's alright. You're not going to throw up."

"Then why do I feel like it?" Hilde's grip on her bouquet of gardenias trembled. "Oh, god. I'm gonna throw up." She breathed deeply through her nose and tried to focus on the feel of the cool, damp cloth against her neck. She imagined her nausea flowing out through the little towel and felt a little better.

"You'll be fine," her companion reassured her. "The nerves were just getting to you for a bit. But don't worry. You look beautiful. The dress looks perfect, all the guests are here, the cake is waiting for you at the house, and all the food is ready. Your wedding will be perfect."

"Thanks for doing all this," Hilde smiled weakly at Relena. "I really, really appreciate it. If it wasn't for you we would have gotten married at city hall and gone to a bar after. Not that there's anything wrong with that," she added quickly, remembering that Relena and Heero themselves had gotten married in a civil ceremony in Venice before throwing a larger wedding.

"It's my gift to you two," Relena answered. "You both deserve it."

Hilde smiled at her companion, who had become a close friend since their meeting on Libra. It felt so long ago, though they weren't even 20 yet.

"Well," she stood and held her bouquet firm. "I guess it's time to get this started!"

Gardenias were everywhere. They were in her bouquet, on the chairs firmly set in the sand; their petals littered the aisle. It was Hilde's favorite flower, and they looked beautiful against the backdrop of the ocean. Relena had helped organize the wedding, and insisted they act on Hilde's secret dream of having a beach wedding. The petite woman had never even been to a beach in her life, but Relena had ignored her insisting declarations that a beach wedding was just a fantasy.

"People get married on beaches all the time, Hilde," Relena had told her serenely. "There's no reason why you can't."

She had even enlisted the help of Dorothy Catalonia, who handled the booking of venues and the florist. Dorothy had met Hilde's hesitation with a haughty toss of her head.

"It's your day," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone needs to defer to your wants."

Now, looking at the paradise around her, Hilde was glad she had listened. It was perfect, better than perfect.

And, despite knowing how cheesy the thought was, she felt that the most perfect part of the whole picture was the person waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

Her summery wedding dress swirled around her knees as they grinned goofily at each other, the gardenia in her hair waving wildly in the wind. Everything came into focus when the minister proclaimed them man and wife, and as his hands came up to cup her face for a kiss, Hilde was sure this could only be the perfect beginning to the perfect life together.


	9. Chapter 9

Whaaat? Two uploads in one day? Don't get too excited people. The Gardenia theme has been sitting on my computer since before I wrote chapter 6, and this was the leftovers from my Church of Lemons entry this year that I could NOT LEAVE ALONE. Omnicat, this one's for you, the other side of my CoL entry, from Hilde's perspective. Perspective, mind you, not POV. I'm a Janeite. Nothing beats Free Indirect Discourse for me.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own GW, just doing it because I love this pairing with all my heart!

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Theme: #10

It wasn't that she was unhappy. He was the kindest, most generous man she knew, as a husband , father and a friend. He made her laugh, and wasn't that the most important thing? To have someone you could laugh with?

She watched as he slipped off his shirt and climbed under the covers, silently pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head chastely. "Night, babe," he murmured, turning off the table lamp and settling in.

"Night," Hilde whispered back, closing her eyes.

She knew she had gotten...softer, after the pregnancy. Of course, she still ran every day and work around the yard certainly afforded her plenty of exercise...but she wasn't a soldier anymore. She didn't spend most of her time in a weight room, or on a treadmill. She wasn't out of shape...she was just ...normal. Still attractive, still the same size, just soft in places she was once hard. And she didn't think Duo minded. He had taken to slapping her behind after Hadrian was born, claiming he "liked the jiggle". She had been hurt, thinking he was calling her fat, but he only kissed her and told her she was sexier than ever.

That had felt good. He always made her feel good, his attentions both flattering and arousing. He was a considerate lover, satisfying her in all the right ways. And once Hadrian began sleeping through the night, they were able to turn their attentions back to the intimacy briefly denied by new parenthood.

But then, sometime after Anya's birth, after they were well settled in their home on Earth and Hadrian had won first prize at the school's science fair for his demonstration on hacking a security system, things changed. The days were so full; in the morning, Duo would take Hadrian to school while she took care of Anya. Once she was put down for her nap the two would work in their home office, supervising their business in space from the comfort of their chairs. They worked quickly, efficiently, years of cooperation becoming a precise science. Then Anya was awake and it was time for lunch, and a blink of an eye later Duo was rushing out to take Hadrian to swim practice. Then it was dinner and homework, Anya trying to get into everything, then bath time (which Anya hated), and finally bedtime. Duo read while Hilde rocked, and between the two of them they usually managed to get both of the little Maxwells to sleep by nine.

By then, they were both exhausted. It was all she could do to lay her head down and relish his body curled around hers protectively. It was how they always slept, Duo's arms folded around her, her legs tucked securely between his. She remembered when they first began sleeping together, how hyper aware of him she was, every breath a shiver, every pulse of his blood a call to her. Now she could only accept his chaste kiss before sleep overtook her.

How could she be unhappy with such a full life, with a family of her own and a husband who adored her, whose hard work and faith in her led them to buying a beautiful house in a beach town?

She wasn't unhappy. She had everything she could ever ask for; a life with Duo. But it nagged at her, when she recalled the things he used to with her, to her. The way he possessed her, the way she dominated him. Intimacy, pure and simple.

Of course, there were many definitions of the word. And they were still intimate spiritually. The ease with which their banter flowed never ceased; their trust in each other was explicit, and their harmony radiated to their children and through their home. But Hilde missed the other side of the coin, the side she was seeing less and less. It made her feel guilty, ungrateful. How dare she feel unsatisfied with all that was before her?

When they visited Heero and Relena during the summer, she let it spill to Relena. Her old friend listened patiently, before suggesting a solution. She took Hilde shopping that day, her treat.

"Pick anything you like," Relena said gently, guiding Hilde to the laces and satins.

And she did. She picked something white and tight and completely impractical, just what she needed. And she promised Relena to consider her offer of leaving the children with their Aunt Relena and Uncle Heero so she and Duo could reconnect.

When they returned home, she didn't hesitate. She knew if she put it off she would lose her nerve. And so, with the children asleep and the house locked up for the night, Hilde pulled on her corset.

There was nothing chaste about their kisses that night.

The next day, Relena received a call from her friend.

"Hey Rel. Do you think you and Heero could take the kids for a few days?"

Relena only smiled knowingly, happy for the couple. They deserved a break. "Of course, Hilde. We'd be delighted."


End file.
